About CDC's Injury Center

Regardless of gender, race, or economic status, injuries remain a leading cause of death for Americans of all ages, accounting for more than 170,000 deaths in 2005. And injury deaths are only part of the picture. Millions of Americans are injured each year and survive.

At CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC or CDC’s Injury Center) we work to ensure all Americans can live their lives to the fullest.

Our Vision

We will put injury and violence prevention on the map as the premier public health achievement of the 21st century.

Our Mission

The mission of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control is to prevent injuries and violence, and reduce their consequences.

A Brief History

Injuries have been a leading cause of death and disability throughout history; consequently, many people and agencies have undertaken prevention efforts. In 1985, the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recognized the need for a coordinated effort to prevent injuries in the United States. They identified CDC as the federal agency best suited to lead injury research. CDC had a strong history of interdisciplinary research, data collection and analysis, information sharing, and relationships with states—elements the council and IOM deemed important. And unlike other federal agencies involved in injury prevention, CDC had no regulatory or enforcement role.

In 1997, IOM’s Committee on Injury Prevention and Control recommended that no one agency could effectively serve as the sole leader for injury. Rather, agencies should collaborate on injury prevention and control activities, with each agency leading in its area of expertise.

CDC’s Injury Center now functions as the focal point for the public health approach to preventing and treating injuries, a paradigm that enriches the entire injury field.